Car construction



April 1 1, 1939. N. s. REEDER CAR CONSTRUCTIONY Filed May 1. 1956 l l l ATT'OR Patented Apr. 1l, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CAR CONSTRUCTION Application May 1, 1936, Serial No. 77,342

5 Claims.

This invention relates to vehicles employed in collecting and transporting lading. I'he particular embodiment of the invention is disclosed in the drawing as applied to an open top railroad car employed in transporting refuse from collecting stations to a place of disposal.

Prior existing railroad cars used for this purpose often presented serious difficulties in unloading the refuse. As the cars are loaded at different collecting stations within the metropolitan area and then hauled to a nearby dumping ground, the refuse forming the lading often comprises a mixture of discarded articles of food, household articles, waste products and the various other types of rubbish accumulated in daily city life. The character of the lading within the car makes the discharge thereof through the ordinary discharge openings in the floor of standard railroad cars impractical since the discharge openings are either clogged or obstructed, or the lading forms an arch over the openingpreventing further discharge. The lading could be readily discharged from open top cars in a car dumper, which inverts the car, but such a means is seldom available or is unsuitable because of its size and expense.

Heretofore, elTorts to overcome the foregoing objections have resulted in the building of cars having the entire side of the car hinged adjacent the floor or the upper edge of the side of the car. Such a construction requires some extraneous mechanical means for raising and lowering the heavy car sides forming the doors and makes this design of car objectionable. When the car sides are hinged adjacent the floor of the body and opened outwardly and downwardly to discharge the lading, the lading lodges on the door, preventing complete discharge of the lading and necessitating additional labor through a second handling of the material to remove it from the door. Other objections arise because of the necessary increase in weight due to the strengthening of the hinged sides to withstand handling.

The present invention overcomes these and other prior objectionable features by a novel manner of constructing the side wall of the car as a pair of opposing doors, one door of the pair opening upward and the other opening downward in the discharge of the lading, the meeting edge of the doors being along a line disposed longitudinally of the car and intermediate the vertical extremities of the side of the car. For this type of car a simple and eilicient mechanical meansmay be mounted on the ends of the cars for opening the doors with a minimum of manual effort. This method of mounting the doors has many advantages and greatly reduces the manual effort required in operating the doors by connecting both doors at one side of the car to the same operating mechanism so that the force 5 of gravity and the lading acting upon the lower door assists in lifting the upper door into open position and the force of gravity acting on the upper door assists in moving the lower door into closed position. n l0 One object of the present invention is to provide a railroad car with body side walls which are readily positioned to eiect a complete and rapid discharge of the lading.

Another object of the invention is to provide, 15 as an integral part of the car, a manually operable mechanism for handling said car side walls.

Another object of the invention is to provide such mechanism for the purpose as will utilize the weight of the doors forming the car side walls 20 to reduce the manual effort required to operate the mechanism.

Another object of the invention is to provide a car of the character described with body side walls formed of doors having their meeting edge 25 disposed longitudinally of the car intermediate the upper and lower limits of the side of the car body and the lower door hinged adjacent the floor of the car body in such a manner as to afford an unobstructed discharge opening at the level with 30 the car oor and extending substantially the full length of the car body.

A further object of the invention is to provide a car side wall with doors of the character described, the lower door being of such a size as to 35 form an apron to discharge the lading away from the car and tracks, and yet not of such width as to provide a lodging place for the lading and preventA the discharge thereof. e

In the drawings forming part of this speci- 40 cation, the inventive concept has been broadly disclosed and one specific embodiment of the manually operable mechanism for handling the doors, it being understood that many changes may be made in the specic details without de- 45 parting from the invention hereinafter described in which Fig. 1 of the drawing discloses 'a side elevation of an open top car equipped with the invention; Fig. 2 is an enlarged transverse section taken on the lines 2 2 of Fig. l with the door 50 shown in open position; Fig. 3 is a further enlarged section taken on the lines 3 3 of Fig. 2

showing a detail of the door operating mechanism; Figs. 4 and 5 are enlarged sections taken on lines 4 4 and 5 5 of Figs. l and 2 respective- 55 ly showing respectively details of the door and method of mounting the mechanism on the car.

Referring now to the drawing where like reference characters refer to like parts, reference character I indicates a railroad car of the usual construction comprising side and end walls, a floor, and wheeled trucks beneath opposite ends of the car. The end walls 2 of the car preferably extend from side sill 3 to side sill 3 of the car and extend from the car floor 4 to the top end rail 5 of the car. These end walls 2 are preferably disposed inwardly from the ends of the car and a platform 6 on the underframe of the car eX- tends from each end wall outwardly to the ends of the car. Side ladders 1 and 1a are disposed at opposite ends of the car-for the convenience of trainmen and to assist the operators of the car in mounting to the platforms vIi. The side walls of the car are preferably formed of side posts 34, side plate 9, top rail 9a, an upper door 8 hinged at a to the sideplate 9 of the car and a lower side door I hinged at Illa adjacent the fioor of the car. The doors 8 and I0 are of sufficient width to meet intermediate the vertical limits of the car side wall and have their meeting edges reinforced by overlapping members I I and I2, the member I2 secured to the door IIJ overlying the member II secured to the door 8 so as to prevent leakage of any fluid mixed with the lading. The bottom edge of the bottom door ID vpreferably forms a Water-tight seal with the floor of the car by any well-known method.

The car body as thus described comprises a closed lading retaining receptacle having an open top through which the lading maybe placed within the car and opposite side Walls formed of doors opening outwardly for the discharge of the lading to either or both sides of the car. The side doors of the car may be secured in position by any desirable methodknown to the art andthe doors may be opened and closed in any desirable manner. I prefer to mount on the end of the car, a-bove the platform 6, a manually operable mechanism for opening and closing the doors so that the operator may stand on the platform 6 whilst manipulating the mechanism as hereinafter described.

One form of mechanism for operating the doors, as shown in Figs. 2 to 4 inclusive of the drawing, comprises a track disposed transversely of and in spaced relation to the car end wall 2 above the platform 6 and secured at opposite sides of the car by `means of brackets `I3. The track comprises an upper member I4 having a rack I secured thereto and preferably disposed beneath the member I4, and a lower member I6. The `members I4 and I6 are disposed in vertical spaced relation having mounted thereon a carriage I1 preferably comprising outer side walls I1a and inner side walls I1b having their upper edges joined bya U-shaped member I8a and their lower edges joined by the inverted U-shaped member I8". Disposed between the members I1a and .I1b is a gear wheel I9 mounted on a shaft 23 journaled in the members I1it and I1b and extending beyond the member I1a to receive an operating wheel 2 I. Shaft 2l] has two concentric bearings 31 and 38 at each side of gear I9, the outer bearing 38 rolling on track member I6 to support the carriage I1, the inner bearing 31'supporting the shaft 20 during rotation of gear I9 as hereinafter described. riage I1 has a rolling instead of asliding movement on track member I6. The gear I9 is in engagement with the rack I5 disposed belowthe In this manner the car` member I4 and the member I6 is preferably of U-shape to receive the underside of the gear I9. Pivotally mounted on the member I8EL by means of the pin 22 is a door lever 23 having its outer end pivotally mounted by means of the pin 24 in a bracket 25 secured .to the door 8, and pivotally mounted on the member I8b of the carriage by means of the pin 26 is the door lever 21, having its free end pivotally connected to the door Il) by means of the pin 28 journaled in the bracket 29 secured to the door.

These door mechanisms are mounted at each side of each end of the car and two door mechanisms preferably connected to each pair of side doors so that the doors at each side of the car may 4be independently operated by men standing at opposite ends of the car. The inward movement of the carriage I1 is limited by a stop 30 secured to each end wall and having a portion 3I extending between the members I4 and I6 of the track torengage an edge of the carriage I1, it being understood that the track is spaced outwardly Afrom the end wall as shown in Fig. 5 and the end wall is braced by means of the longitudinally disposed member 32. The side doors are preferably locked in closed position independently of the operating mechanism. Any form of lock suitable for the purpose may be used, one form being shown in Fig. 5 comprising a member 33 secured to the corner post 34 by means of the backing plate 35 and extending through openings in the car side wall doors. The member 33 has an opening adjacent its outer end to receive the wedge 36, locking the doors in closed position.

Due to the character of the lading it is not desirable to manually handle the same and a preferred form of discharging the lading is to open the side doors and direct a stream of water under pressure against the lading, washing it from the car. This stream of water may be directed against the lading from either or both sides of the car, washing the lading from the iioor 4, outwardly over the bottom doors I0. In this manner the cars are not only unloaded but are kept clean, avoiding any offensive odors resulting from decayed vegetable and animal matter which might cling to the car.

The operation of the doors is as follows: after the car has arrived at the place of discharge, the wedges 36 are removed and operators standing on the platform 6 at opposite ends of the car grasp the operating wheels 2l of the mechanisms secured to the doors at one side of the car, turning the wheel towards the opposite side of the car. The gear I9 cooperating with the rack I5 on the member I4 of the track moves the carriage I1 and attached arms 23 and 21 outwardly towards the side of the car. The arms 23 and 21 pivoting on their connections to the carriage I1, swing the doors 8 and III outwardly on their hinge connections to the car. When the doors are in fully opened position they will remain in this position until closed. The operating wheel 2| on the opposite side of the car is similarly operated to open the doors 8 and II) on the opposite side of the car, after which the streams of water are directed against the lading as previously described.

During the opening of the doors, the weight of the lading pressing against the door I9 and thel weight of the door II! tends to pull the carriage I1 outwardly towards the side of the car and assist in raising the upper door 8. Similarly, during the closing movements of the door, the weight of the door 8 acts through its lever 23 on the carriage l1 and assists in closing the bottom door l0.

Whilst no details of construction of the car body and doors have been illustrated in the drawing, brackets 25 and 29 have been shown extending longitudinallypf the doors to reinforce same and it is to be understood that any suitable reinforcing may be attached to the doors as may be found necessary.

Many obvious modifications of the invention will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art and I do not wish to limit myself by any details of construction except as hereinafter set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. In a railway car having a floor, body side and end walls forming therewith a lading enclosure with one side wall thereof including a pair of doors extending longitudinally of the side wall with their adjacent meeting edges disposed above the oor and their opposite edges hinged adjacent the upper and lower portions of the side wall to open outwardly for discharge of lading, a door operating mechanism at each end of said pair of doors including a track comprising vertically spaced members disposed transversely of each end wall, the upper of said track members having a rack on the lower face thereof, the lower of said track members being U-shaped with the arms of the U extending towards the rack, a carriage mounted on said track and including a rotatably mounted gear engaging the rack of said upper track member and extending between the arms of the lower track member, a shaft upon which said gear is mounted, annular bearings on said shaft on opposite sides of said gear and a second annular bearing enclosing said rstnamed bearing on opposite sides of the gear and engaging the upper face of the arms of the U- shaped track member to support the carriage, said annular bearings on each side of the said gear being rotatable relative to each other, link connections between each carriage member and the a-djacent end of the upper and lower door of the side wall, and means for rotating said gear of each said carriage in engagement with said rack to move said carriage longitudinally of the track for actuating the associated doors.

2. In a railway car having a side wall including a pair of opposing doors extending from end wall to end wall of the car, a Idoor operating mechanism comprising track means on each end wall and extending inwardly from said side wall, carriage means supported by each said track for movement longitudinally of said track, means on said carriage engaging said track, independently of the supporting engagement therewith, to selectively move the carriage upon the track, and an arm pivoted to each end of each door and a pivotal connection between each door arm and the adjacent carriage.

3. In a railway car having a side wall including a pair of opposing doors extending from end wall to end wall of the car, a door operating mechanism comprising a track extending inwardly of each end wall from each end or said pair of doors and comprising upper and lower members, carriage mounted on` each said track and comprising side walls disposed on opposite sides of said track, end walls connecting said side walls exteriorly of said track and propelling means disposed between said track members and journaled in said side members, and door arms pivotally connected to the adjacent ends of the doors and to said carriage.

4. In a railway car having end walls and opposite side walls, each of the latter including a pair of opposing doors extending between said end walls, a door operating mechanism comprising a,

a track on each end wall and extending between the side walls, each track including a bottom member having a recess in the top face thereof and a top member spaced from the bottom member and including a rack overlying said recess of the bottom member, an arm pivoted to each end of each door and extending inwardly of the car towards said tracks, a carriage member on each track adjacent each end of each pair of doors and pivotally connecting the inner ends of said arms of the respective pair of doors, a gear mounted on a shaft journaled on each carriage and engaging the rack on the top track member, said gear extending into the recess of the lbottom member and the shaft thereof being supported on said bottom track member, and means for rotating said shaft to move said carriage upon said track for actuating the associated side doors of the car.

5. In a door operating mechanism of the character described, the combination of a track, a carriage, mutually engaging means on said track and carriage for selectively moving the carriage in opposite directions upon the track, a bearing on the carriage supporting said carriage-carried means, and a second bearing associated with the first-named bearing, said second bearing engaging the track to support the carriage thereupon and engaging the first-named bearing to rotatably support same upon the carriage.

NATHANIEL S. REEDER..

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